Judicial Appointments Commission

Are you looking for an exciting and challenging role leading a multi-disciplinary team? Are you passionate about diversity, inclusion, and communication? Do you recognise the importance of policies and processes that are fair, accessible and engage the widest possible audiences? If the answer is yes, you could be exactly who we are looking for to join our Senior Leadership team.

The Role

We’re looking for a Head of Diversity, Engagement & Communication to lead our work to widen the pool of high calibre judicial applicants, ensure our processes are fair and free from bias, and lead our communication and engagement activity with candidates, stakeholders, and partners.

As an independent public body, the Judicial Appointments Commission is responsible for designing, planning, and running recruitment campaigns to select judges in the courts and tribunals, up to and including the High Court, as well as non-legal tribunal members. You can read more about our work on our website: http://judicialappointments.gov.uk

With a new recruitment campaign launched every couple of weeks, and statutory responsibilities to make sure we select candidates on merit and through fair and open competition, it’s essential that our processes are robust, inclusive, and attractive to candidates from the widest possible backgrounds. It’s also essential that our audiences understand the judicial application and selection process, and our partners are engaged in actively collaborating with us to support a diverse judiciary that represents the society it serves.

Our Head of Diversity, Engagement & Communication plays a vital role in enabling the organisation to achieve that vision. They provide strategic oversight and leadership on our candidate outreach and engagement strategies, monitor our policies and processes, and lead our vital stakeholder engagement work with partners across the judicial system including the legal professions and judiciary. They also provide strategic oversight and leadership of all JAC communication activities, ensuring our processes are understood and our audiences have confidence in our approach to meri-based selection.

This is a key role in a vital public body that delivers complex and constitutionally sensitive work at pace. It also has responsibility for providing strategic advice and guidance on diversity, stakeholder engagement, and communication matters to the JAC Chair, Chief Executive and Board, as well as management responsibility for a small multi-disciplinary team of diversity and communication practitioners.

Main responsibilities

Reporting to the Deputy Chief Executive your main responsibilities will be to:

• Develop and lead the JAC’s strategy to widen the pool of high calibre candidates for judicial appointment, thereby supporting greater judicial diversity.

• Lead the JAC’s candidate attraction strategy, evaluating candidate outreach and engagement activities to ensure it is targeted and effective while also exploring new opportunities to engage potential applicants.

• Provide strategic oversight of JAC policies and selection processes ensuring they are fair, free from bias, and compliant with relevant equalities legislation.

• Lead the JAC’s stakeholder engagement strategy, identifying opportunities for more effective collaboration and working with partner organisations to support programmes aimed at developing potential judicial applicants.

• Deliver strategic support to the Judicial Diversity Forum - a group of leaders from across the legal sector which is chaired by the Chair of the JAC.

• Strategic oversight and leadership of the JAC Communication strategy, ensuring our approach to communication addresses the needs of internal and external audiences and supports our commitment to be a centre of excellence for merit-based selection.

• Lead briefing activity for the JAC Chair, Chief Executive, Commissioners, selection panels, senior staff and operational teams on issues concerning diversity, engagement, and communication.

• Monitor the progression of target groups through JAC selection exercises, working with analysts to support the compilation and publication of diversity statistics, and analysing information so that lessons are learnt and the barriers to successful application are understood.

• Represent the JAC at candidate outreach and engagement events

• Direct line management of two SEOs (a Senior Diversity Manager and a Senior Strategic Communications Manager) and strategic leadership of the Diversity and Engagement team.

Essential Criteria

• experience of policy development and implementation
• experience of stakeholder engagement and working with partners to achieve shared objectives
• An understanding of strategic communications and experience of providing communications advice and guidance to senior stakeholders.
• a good knowledge/understanding of equality and diversity legislation.
• understanding of the judicial diversity agenda, with emphasis on recruitment
• strong analytical skills to assess how candidates progress during the JAC selection processes
• Line management experience

What we can offer you

We offer a range of benefits including an attractive annual leave allowance, flexible and hybrid working opportunities, and choice of pension schemes. We actively encourage all staff to undertake learning and development as part of their personal objectives.

While the JAC is an independent executive non-departmental public body, we are considered an arms-length body of the Ministry of Justice and share many of the same policies, processes and terms and conditions as Civil Servants employed directly by the MoJ. This includes being part of the MoJ pay remit, enabling transferees from other government departments to retain their continuity of service and Civil Service Pension arrangements.

Though located at Clive House, Petty France, London, SW1H 9AJ JAC staff are currently working in a hybrid way with some days in the office and some days working remotely. It will be necessary for the successful postholder to work at the JAC location regularly to support business need.

Recruitment process

We will assess you against these behaviours during the recruitment process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Application Process

• Your CV
• A statement of suitability detailing the relevant experience and skills you have that would make you suitable for the post (500 words max).
• Written evidence of the 4 core behaviours for this role: Seeing the Big Picture

Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, and Changing and Improving (250 words max for each behaviour).

Sift

Applications will be sifted based on the CV, Statement of Suitability and the 4 behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture, Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, and Changing and Improving

Interview

At interview you we will assess you against the 4 behaviours: Seeing the Big Picture, Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, and Changing and Improving. You will also be asked about your experience.

Applicants invited for interview may be required to undertake a brief work exercise either before or on the day as part of the selection process. More details will be provided if you are invited to interview.

Interviews are expected to take place in late February/Early March 2024.

Interviews may be conducted face -to-face or remotely via MS Teams. More information on the arrangements will be provided to candidates invited to interview.

Reserve List

As well as appointing to the vacancy listed above, we may place other candidates on a 12-month reserve list for future vacancies.

Further Information

If after reading this job description you require any further information, please contact Jessica Prandle, JAC Deputy Chief Executive at Jessica.Prandle@judicialappointments.gov.uk

If you have any questions about the recruitment campaign, or any terms and conditions relating to the role, please contact the JAC HR team at Recruitment@judicialappointments.gov.uk.

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

MoJ candidates who are on a specialist grade, will be able to retain their grade on lateral transfer.

All candidates who are currently in receipt of Mark Time / Pay Protection should ensure they are familiar with the new policy on permanent and temporary promotion which can be found on the employee intranet.

Flexible working hours

The Ministry of Justice offers a flexible working system in many offices.

Benefits

The MoJ offers a range of benefits:

Annual Leave

Annual leave is 25 days on appointment and will increase to 30 days after five years’ service.

There is also a scheme to allow qualifying staff to buy or sell up to three days leave each year. Additional paid time off for public holidays and 1 privilege day. Leave for part-time and job share posts will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

Pension

The Civil Service offers a choice of pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Training

The Ministry of Justice is committed to staff development and offers an extensive range of training and development opportunities.

Networks

The opportunity to join employee-run networks that have been established to provide advice and support and to enable the views of employees from minority groups to be expressed direct to senior management. There are currently networks for employees of minority ethnic origin, employees with disabilities, employees with caring responsibilities, women employees, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees.

Support

• A range of ‘Family Friendly’ policies such as opportunities to work reduced hours or job share.
• Access to flexible benefits such as voluntary benefits, retail vouchers and discounts on a range of goods and services.
• For moves to or from another employer or moves across the Civil Service this can have implications on your eligibility to carry on claiming childcare vouchers. You may however be eligible for alternative government childcare support schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. More information can be found on GOV.UK or Childcare Choices. You can determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
• Paid paternity, adoption and maternity leave.
• Free annual sight tests for employees who use computer screens.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Shared Service Connected Ltd (0845 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team (resourcing-management-office@justice.gov.uk);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team.

We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.

If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com Please quote the job reference - 83626.

If after reading this job description you require any further information, please contact Jessica Prandle, JAC Deputy Chief Executive at Jessica.Prandle@judicialappointments.gov.uk

If you have any questions about the recruitment campaign, or any terms and conditions relating to the role, please contact the JAC HR team at Recruitment@judicialappointments.gov.uk.